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Sunday, January 27, 2013

I had a long list of things I wanted to make again or try for the first time. I knew I would have to take it in steps, relax a while between tasks. I cleaned the kitchen and started some laundry. Then I made these teff pancakes for the first time. As someone in the comments suggested, I used all coconut oil instead of including syrup or honey. I also added some pumpkin pie spice halfway through making them and thought that was a good addition.

I also made a package of Niman Farms applewood bacon and it was excellent. Mick liked it too and I made a batch of "his" pancakes for him after recleaning the kitchen. After making his glutinous pancakes, I recleaned the kitchen again, started another load of laundry, and then took a break for while.

I was hoping to make a batch of barbecue sauce, something with the last of my eggplant, some butternut squash soup, and a maybe a dessert, but those things will have to wait to another day.

For dinner, I tried a blackened redfish recipe for the red snapper I picked up at Lee Lee Oriental/International market. I had some extra so I used it on the mackerel too. Additionally, I made some rice, the gumbo veggies with some fresh parsley, file and cayenne, and Swiss chard. Mick really liked the fish seasoning but not the veggies so much. I thought it was good though! I'm quite exhausted now!

Note: when I made these pancakes a couple weeks later, they stuck really bad on the pan. Too much liquid? They still tasted good!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

It's a new "quarter", and I have a new student. Dr. Q seems to be more something with her; I can't think of the word but like he thinks she takes him or his line of work more seriously than the other students who are just doing their rotations.

They talked about my energy, almost like talking about aura. He mentioned to her that I was poofy. I was amused because I had mentioned to a friend a few days earlier that I felt, not just fat and bloated, but poofy. I also got a little lecture about negative self-talk. Well, I am never *wrong*. That is positive self-talk, right?!

They talked about SOT (Sacro Occipital Technique) chiropractic and TMJ. I had been complaining of a lot of pain in my right ear and side of my face. I just thought I was clenching my teeth or something. He did some adjustments on my face, neck, sacrum mentioned being more gentle in the adjustments based on the issues I'm having. He said to the student that the area around the eyes looked more relaxed. My eye felt better when I left.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

I feel like my appetite is kind of off somehow. I'm hungry but not really at my normal times. I was starving but my stomach also felt unsettled while I was driving to Labcorp for my thyroid fasting blood work. And last night, I was super hungry before bedtime, but I didn't eat then since I was fasting.

At my normal lunchtime, I was completely uninterested in eating, but I knew I'd be hungry later so I ate. Then, late in the afternoon, I was really hungry. And then I couldn't stop coughing. So I wasn't hungry FOR anything. It's a weird feeling anyway.

A few days ago, I made this package of yellow eyed peas that I picked up at the farmers market. I used diced pancetta and Italian seasonings, kind of a mix of recipes I ran across, which I served with some rice. Mick said it was bland. I thought it was okay but not so great. So tonight, I decided to "doctor" it like red beans and rice. I found some Niman Farms (g/f, no nitrates) spicy andouille sausage so I sliced it up, and started it cooking in some duck fat. When it got fragrant and started to look cooked, I added the peas (using a slotted spoon to leave behind the liquid) and a half a bottle of Annie's barbecue sauce. I would have used my own homemade sauce but we don't have any right now! I served the resulting spicy goodness over leftover rice. Mick like this one much better.

It is so cold here, even the east coasters are complaining. I wore a long sleeve Tshirt under a sweater for work along with boots and a scarf. My jacket stayed on my lap most of the day, too. Brrrr.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

I don't feel so great today. I saw the sunrise, which was beautiful (I know my photo doesn't do it justice at all) but my head is stuffy and achy. I went to work and met J for lunch. I changed my scarf; the coral print scarf was not a good match for this color block top.

so I changed the scarf to black.

I ran through Whole Foods to get hemp protein powder. I also wanted to get these rice crackers I got there before but this one was set up differently and I wasn't able to find them. I did get a couple of snack bars and a Theo chocolate mint bar.

My head was not feeling great still. It didn't help that I waited almost an hour to see the doctor just for follow up. And I feel fat; I'm half a pound from hitting 160 again. I recently read an article about thyroid function that included an example of someone who needed to cut 500 calories from her diet just to maintain weight because of a malfunctioning thyroid. And that was off of a healthy diet, not at all reasonable to expect. Grrr.

I ran to Fresh and Easy for almond milk (no carrageenan) and a few other items, then Sprouts for coconut milk creamer (it has carrageenan but I don't have alternatives yet, although I am investigating one that looks promising). The coconut milk yogurt has that additive too, but I noticed the (more expensive, harder to find, of course) Greek version was slightly cleaner. Hmmm. But I love that chocolate one! And the large vanilla or plain is more economical than all those little Greek ones. I'm also really disappointed that I can't find the canned Thai coconut soup anymore. I think they stopped carrying it. So sad! They did have uncured Niman Ranch Canadian bacon and bacon as well as g/f Andouille sausage without nitrates and all that crap. Sweet.

Mick thought Inmight meet them out at Marjerle's for happy hour but I didn't have enough happy left for an hour so I went home for some rest.

Monday, January 7, 2013

I received a thoughtful and hilarious (IMO) care package today. Yes, I'm still sick. Maybe that is doing something to my sense of humor. Mick didn't think it was funny and of course, thought I was "bitching." But I really wasn't. It's just fucking funny.

I got a small shopping bag with several items:

Ricola sugar free cough drops

2 small bottles of lotion

2 pairs of Brookstone fuzzy socks

I don't think it's bitching to say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the socks. I bought some just like them as a gift a couple of years ago because I thought they were really nice. But I haven't had aspartame (in sugar free anything) in at least half a dozen years.

Friday, January 4, 2013

My first day back at work, I caught that bug that's been going around. I felt so terrible last night, I asked my FB friends and family if a doctor visit would be warranted. I got a resounding yes, with an MS friend pointing out that it always hits us harder. I had a little fever when I woke up but maybe I was just hot. (That would be the last time I was more than warm today; mostly I was cold to freezing although I was dressed very warmly.)

I called my doctors office but they couldn't get me in and recommended I go to urgent care. Mick was like "urgent care for a cold?" But when his dad came over, he offered to take me, so I waited till they were done taking down the outdoor Christmas lights and Mick took me.

The wait wasn't bad, and the medical history was taken in an interview and a tablet which was cool and quick. The doctor examined me and said I had sinusitis and pharyngitis so he gave me antibiotics to prevent a full-blown ear infection. (My ears are killing me!)

They called the prescriptions into the wrong Walgreens but the other one was nearby. Mick was annoyed because he wanted to get home to work on more stuff with his dad before he left. But his helpers were still there when we returned. When they left, we watched an episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix and then I went back to sleep. When I woke, my left contact lens was dry and sitting on my face. I love this sleeping with my eye open thing--not! In fact last night, I tried using a sleep mask. I have no idea if it worked but I slept till almost 9 since I didn't realize the sun was up.

I'm going through a lot of tissues, but I think it's a good thing that I'm coughing stuff up. I was hoping that this journey to wellness would take a turn for the easier, but apparently, that is not to be. I notified my agility contacts that I'm retiring Teka because of her returned limp as well as to focus on my own health. I hope that is a step in the right direction.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

It's official. I'm sick. I went to work but told my supervisor that I was going to the doctor after lunch and I didn't thinking was coming back. I went to True Food to get a giant bowl of steaming spicy soupy chicken panang curry. And a lot of green ice tea.

Chicken noodle soup

Dr. QM was "gentle" today because of my neck (thyroidectomy incision). But he found several really painful "TMJ" points as well as needing to work on my, let's say gluteus Maximus, lower back and upper neck areas. He loved my recent examples of my honey and one of his helpers showing me their love the way they want to rather than how I maybe need or want. (Although they do get it right sometimes too!) he also mentioned garlic for a cold so I picked up a bottle of garlic pills to take with my double doses of Vitamin C and Zinc.

with jacket

scarf from my sis

I headed home and got stuck in some kind of football traffic for a Bowl game. That tea started screaming at me so I decided to stop at Sam's Club to get OJ and a few things after using their ladies room. I got some basic short sleeve Eddie Bauer Tshirts to replace some that I've needed to discard as well as a coat with a scarf that might work with some black and red sweaters I have that I could not match up this morning. This is what I wore instead.

I took a nap, which included drooling all over my arm. Wow, that was gross. And unusual for me.

Ingredients for cheaters

When Mick got home, I put a frozen lasagna in the oven for him and then made a "quick" chicken noodle soup using a container of Kitchen Basics chicken stock, half a package of Andean Dream quinoa macaroni, a can of chicken, half a jar of mushrooms, some freeze dried garlic, and a large handful of parsley from my garden to freshen it up. I basically just brought the stock to a boil, added the chicken, then the macaroni, then when it was almost done, the rest. I should have added more water but it was good anyway since the stock is pretty good.

My throat is killing me so I'm self medicating with some (too much) Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Cappuccino ice cream. My ears hurt, my nose hurts, I can't breath through my nose, I have to suck on a candy to calm my throat enough to go to sleep, I hate this shit. I'm concerned that I should take tomorrow off to go to the general doctor but I hate to go for "just" a cold. On the other hand, Dr. QM mentioned that I have a compromised immune system, so I wonder if I need to take preventative measures.